


Choice Of Execution

by Lulaypp



Series: Whumptober 2020 [2]
Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Vague Villain Character, Very Light Blood Mention, Whump, Whumptober, life threats
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 15:48:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26760115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lulaypp/pseuds/Lulaypp
Summary: There are a gun, a bomb and a choice to make: His responsibility or his family. Tim doesn’t want to choose. But with little time and no other options, what choice does he have. Was there ever any choice in the first place?
Relationships: Jason Todd & Tim Drake
Series: Whumptober 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1949758
Comments: 9
Kudos: 61
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	Choice Of Execution

**Author's Note:**

> This is one of my personal favourites of my Whumptober fics (Probs second, tied with Day 10's).
> 
> DO READ THE WARNING!  
> The blood is just a glancing mention. So nothing detailed.
> 
> I actually didn't really want to write for this prompt because I wrote a fic that plays with the "Pick Who Dies" route a bit ago and I am worried that I might just do a redo of it instead of something new. But then this idea popped up some days ago and I like it and I think it is pretty different from my other fic.
> 
> Enjoy reading!
> 
> (Or not :) )

"The choice is yours, Red Robin," the man was saying, the gun in his hand not wavering from its unmoving target. "Stop the bomb, or save him."

Tim's eyes shifted to Red Hood.

Jason had hardly moved since Tim arrived. His hands bound to the arms of the chair and a cloth was pulled tight between his teeth. Bloodstained the torn jacket and the white streak of hair that is partly obscuring his masked eyes as he breathed laboriously. 

Tim's grip tightens on his  bo staff as he glanced at the numbers on the screen to his right. 3:00. Three minutes before the adjacent building full of innocents blows up. He doesn't dare move to disarm the bomb. If he does, Jason would get shot. And he knows his brother couldn't do anything about it, bound, gagged and beaten as he was.

Jason's eyes met his. Even with the pain evident on his face and the mask covering his eyes, Tim knew what Jason is trying to tell him. 'Disarm the bomb and save the people.'

Tim glared back at his brother. There is no way he is going to let that happen. He would not let Jason die. He will save everyone in the targeted building  _ and  _ Jason. He can and he  _ will _ . He just needs a plan,  _ fast _ .

The man walked over to Red Hood, who gave him a muffled growl and a murderous glare, made more threatening by the bleeding cut by his eye. The man paid it no heed as he snatched his hair, pulling it up as Jason slipped out a pained noise, arms struggling against the ropes holding him down. The gun was pressed into his head.

"Two minutes. If you don't choose before the time runs out, you're losing both."

Tim snarled as his hands shook. A plan. A plan. He just needs  _ a plan _ . He can do this. He  _ needs  _ to be able to do this.

"Just hang on for three minutes, Red Robin,"  Nightwing barked into the comms. "Batman and I will be there in three." Tim  knew that it would not be soon enough. That someone would have died by the time Batman and  Nightwing arrives. That it would be too late.

He met Jason's eyes, masked orbs pleading Tim to stop the bomb. To save the people. To do what Red Robin was supposed to do.

But no. He cannot not let his brother die. That cannot be what  _ Tim  _ is supposed to do, can it? Bruce and Dick won't be able to  _ live  _ if Jason dies again.

But would they rather sacrifice a building full of innocents just to save one of their own?

His eyes shifted to the ticking numbers. He's Red Robin. The hostages in the wired building  _ depends  _ on him to save them.

A muffled yelp caught Tim's attention as he turned back to his brother. The gun had moved down, digging into his left side. Where the bullet would tear straight through the heart and Jason would still die, but not immediately. No. He would die slowly, painfully. And Tim won't be able to save him. He knows that it would be a fatal shot. They won't be able to get Jason back to the Cave fast enough.

"One minute and they both go."

Tim closed his eyes. Two choices, too many lives, and no way out.

-

The Batmobile blurred through the streets, speed pushed to its limit. One can only be thankful that there were not many vehicles on the Gotham streets tonight. Bruce would have been, if he can even pause to think about it.

Forty seconds. Batman gripped the wheel tighter. Faster. They need to go faster. Forty Seconds might not be enough. So many lives depend on them arriving as soon as possible. Jason,  _ his son's _ life depends on it.

He turned another corner. The building was visible. Red Robin's location was in there. It still is.

Nightwing had unbuckled his seatbelt, hand already on the door. The car hasn't even stopped when he jumped out and shot his grapple up the side of the building. Batman followed, hardly pausing to make sure the car was locked as he shadowed behind  Nightwing , who crashed through the window. They both didn't even stop as they landed, running around partitions to the opposite side of the office room.

His heart stopped when he heard rattling sobs and Tim's muffled apologies.

His mind screeched to a halt as the scene before him scars his memory.

To his right, was a small screen, ‘0:20’ perpetually blinking.

At the end of the room were Jason and Tim.

"No... Jay... No..." Dick's voice came in wavering whispers as does his steps.

Bruce ran to them. Tim was crying and clinging to his brother, who was bound to the chair, unmoving. That is until teal eyes slowly rose to meet Bruce's. Hazy orbs that, for a flicker of moment, shone with a fierce fire of protectiveness, almost as if daring him to do something wrong. 'Don't blame him,' they screamed. 'Don't let him blame himself. It is not his fault. It is not your fault.'

Bruce knows Tim isn't to blame, cornered with such an ultimatum. But he also knows that the guilt would stay with all of them. What-ifs would haunt all of their thoughts

He stopped by their side, momentarily uncertain of what he should- what he  _ can  _ do. Jason had buried his head back into Tim's cowl-less hair.

Batman’s eyes immediately saw the blood flowing out of Jason's side as  Nightwing help cut through the thick rope around the right wrist. But before Batman could do anything with the bleeding wound, Jason turned to him again, shaking his head lightly. 'Don't. Too late,' he mouthed and Bruce doesn't know whether he lost his voice or he doesn't want Tim to hear his words. 'Take care of Tim. Of everyone' For a moment his eyes went distant and glassy before the fierce gaze return, now pooling with regret. 'Sorry. Love you.'

Bruce abandoned the wound, moving up to press his lips to his son's forehead, hoping to convey everything he felt. His love, his pride, his forgiveness, his sorrow, his  _ regret _ .

"No... No, Jason, not yet. Please."  Nightwing was shaking, leaving the other rope to clutch at the freed hand. “I- I-”

Jason turned to Dick and flashed him a weak smile. 'Love you too. Thanks, Dick,' his lips read before a shudder ran through him as he groaned and his eyes flickered.

"No!" Dick's scream echoed throughout the room as he threw himself onto his limp brother.

Bruce felt his heart shatter as he closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around his three eldest sons.

Two, mourning.

One, has gone back to the dead.

**Author's Note:**

> :)  
> Do I feel sorry? .......Maybe not. 
> 
> (I sometimes feel like writing a sort of companion piece for this where it would be from Jason's and/or Tim's perspective (Especially since I intended to have this whole thing from Tim's but I like where the scene ended so.. yeah.). If anyone is interested then maybe I'll write it?)


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